Indoor exercise lacks the inspiration, exploration, and motivation of outdoor activity, thereby exposing users (exercisers) to boredom and increasing the probability that they will discontinue a workout program or fall short of their fitness goals.
Prior art indoor exercise equipment may provide a very limited interaction, typically based on computer-generated simulations, and fall victim to one or more of the following five shortfalls. First, most of the interactive systems utilize computer-generated simulations and not true video footage of actual, real courses. Second, the equipment defines or demands what type of exercise is to be performed. For example, a stationary bike or a bike set up on a trainer does not enable a user to hike or run, and a treadmill does not enable the user to bike and so separate pieces of exercise equipment and sensing hardware are required. Third, most exercise equipment is relatively large and heavy and thus only can be used in one location. Fourth, the workout history/data for any particular piece of exercise equipment pertains to that piece of equipment and does not transfer or follow a user to other types of physical activities and other types of exercise equipment. Lastly, these exercise systems tend to be quite costly.
What is needed is a method and apparatus providing users with an interactive experience of real roads and trails that continuously responds to them during their workout as if they were actually there, so that many of the benefits of outdoor training can be captured.